‘You’re lying, dog.’ Sibbie’s cry of pain, and Paulo’s protest, brought silent tears to Marjie’s face.

In German, the soldier who had done all the talking now said, ‘Search around – find the dogs!’

Marjie held her breath and prayed. Her prayers were for Sibbie and Paulo, and for herself and Arnie. Creeping backwards, she found herself sliding and slowly her body went into a dip in the ground, as the torchlight passed by her.

She could see the soldier’s muddied boots as he trod close to her head, but he didn’t detect her. When he had passed by, she released the breath that she hadn’t been conscious of holding. Then she was filled with relief, though she still felt fear for Sibbie and Paulo, when another German voice shouted, ‘Nothing! There’s no one here.’

‘Well, we have our prize, and these two dogs, who will tell us all we want to know . . . DO YOU HEAR THAT, COWARDS? HIDING AND LETTING YOUR COMRADES TAKE THE RAP FOR YOU IS NOT HEROISM!’

The soldier’s yell resounded in the silence, giving Marjie the sense of betraying Sibbie and Paulo, but she remained still, weeping soundlessly.

‘WELL, HEAR ME. THEY WILL TELL US WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU PLAN. AND SOON! WE WILL TORTURE THEM TO WITHIN AN INCH OF THEIR LIVES! YOU WILL NEVER WIN. HEIL HITLER!’

As both Sibbie and Paulo let out cries of pain, Marjie’s tears soaked her face. She rested her forehead on the cold, wet bracken. Despair engulfed her, but then Sibbie’s voice rang out, strong and courageous. ‘You will never beat us, never – German pigs. You didn’t beat our parents and you won’t beat us!’

This earned her another blow, and a pain-filled scream reverberated through the woods.

Paulo shouted, ‘And you won’t break us. We’ll never tell you anything, you filthy, vicious PIGS!’

Marjie cringed as he hollered out in pain and must have been knocked to the ground, because he was then told to get up and Sibbie was screaming, ‘Don’t – don’t kick him. Oh, Paulo, my darling.’

Marjie felt a moment of horror then as the German said, ‘Ha, lovers, eh? Well now, won’t that be useful information.’

As their voices faded, Marjie crawled out of her hole in the ground. A desperate whisper came to her. ‘Stay down, Marjie.’